Struggling to grow as a professional can feel frustrating, especially when you’re trying to make photography your career. It’s not just about improving your technical skills. You need to know how to build your brand, connect with clients, and monetize your work.
Coming to you from Laura BC, this practical video highlights five essential tips for anyone looking to succeed in photography. She emphasizes that knowing your potential client is critical. Without this clarity, you can’t shape your portfolio, website, or social media effectively. Laura explains how she started in surf photography, which was reflected in her early work. Later, when she shifted to creative portrait photography, she adjusted her portfolio to attract the clients she wanted. The lesson here is to make sure your portfolio aligns with the type of work you want more of. It’s okay if your niche changes over time, but your portfolio should always reflect your current focus.
Laura also discusses how you can become the go-to person within your niche by narrowing down even further. She shares her own experience of standing out in London’s competitive portrait photography scene by focusing on a distinctive use of light, shadows, and RGB lights. This unique style made her the preferred choice for artists seeking creative press shots. Her message is clear: it’s not just about being a portrait photographer; it’s about finding your specific angle within that category. By doing this, she was able to continue receiving client requests even after moving away from London, showing that your niche can follow you wherever you go.
Another key point in the video is about avoiding distractions, particularly on social media. Laura warns against chasing likes and followers for validation. It’s easy to get sucked into checking how your posts perform and letting that dictate your self-worth. Instead, she advises focusing on improving the quality of your work. Social media can be a useful tool, but it shouldn’t be your main measure of success. The real goal is to have a strong, polished presence that showcases your best work and builds trust with potential clients. Laura shares how getting caught up in the quest for validation can lead to imposter syndrome, where you constantly doubt your abilities because a post didn’t get as much engagement as you expected. That's just the start, so check out the video above for the full rundown.
If you would like to learn more about the business of photography, check out "Making Real Money: The Business of Commercial Photography With Monte Isom!"
